Common Irregular Verbs in Welsh

Overview

While the "gwneud" (to do) auxiliary construction covers most past tense needs, four extremely common verbs have their own short-form past tenses that are used regularly in spoken Welsh: "mynd" (go), "dod" (come), "gwneud" (do/make), and "cael" (get/have). At the A2 level, learning these irregular past forms is essential because you will hear and use them constantly.

These verbs are irregular because their past tense forms do not follow a single predictable pattern — each must be memorized individually. The good news is that there are only four verbs to learn at this level, and they are so frequent that practice opportunities are abundant.

How It Works

Mynd (to go)

Person	Past tense
I	es i
You	est ti
He/She	aeth e/hi
We	aethon ni
You (pl)	aethoch chi
They	aethon nhw

Dod (to come)

Person	Past tense
I	des i
You	dest ti
He/She	daeth e/hi
We	daethon ni
You (pl)	daethoch chi
They	daethon nhw

Gwneud (to do/make)

Person	Past tense
I	wnes i
You	wnest ti
He/She	wnaeth e/hi
We	wnaethon ni
You (pl)	wnaethoch chi
They	wnaethon nhw

Cael (to get/receive)

Person	Past tense
I	ces i
You	cest ti
He/She	cafodd e/hi
We	cawson ni
You (pl)	cawsoch chi
They	cawson nhw

Examples in Context

Welsh	English	Note
Es i i'r siop ddoe.	I went to the shop yesterday.	Mynd
Ddest ti adre'n hwyr.	You came home late.	Dod (with mutation)
Gest ti amser da?	Did you have a good time?	Cael
Wnaethon nhw ddim ateb.	They didn't answer.	Gwneud
Aeth hi i Lundain.	She went to London.	Mynd
Daeth e â anrheg.	He brought a gift.	Dod
Ces i lythyr heddiw.	I got a letter today.	Cael
Aethon ni am dro.	We went for a walk.	Mynd
Cafodd hi ei geni yng Nghymru.	She was born in Wales.	Cael (passive)
Daethon nhw'n gynnar.	They came early.	Dod

Common Mistakes

Using "gwneud" when the short form exists

• Wrong: Wnes i fynd i'r siop. (using gwneud + mynd)
• Right: Es i i'r siop. (direct short form)
• Why: While "wnes i fynd" is understood, the short forms of mynd, dod, and cael are standard and sound more natural.

Forgetting soft mutation in questions

• Wrong: Dest ti?
• Right: Ddest ti? (soft mutation in question/after soft trigger)
• Why: In certain contexts (after question particles, in informal speech), the initial consonant mutates.

Mixing up similar-sounding forms

• Wrong: Des i meaning "I went"
• Right: Es i (I went) vs Des i (I came)
• Why: "Es" is from mynd (go), "des" is from dod (come). They sound similar but have different meanings.

Usage Notes

These four irregular verbs are so common that their short forms are used even in the most informal spoken Welsh. You will hear shortened versions too: "'nes i" for "wnes i," "'nath e" for "wnaeth e," "'ath e" for "aeth e."

Negative forms add "ddim" after the pronoun: "Es i ddim" (I didn't go), "Ddaeth e ddim" (He didn't come), "Ches i ddim" (I didn't get).

Practice Tips

1. Drill all four verbs: Write out the full conjugation for mynd, dod, gwneud, and cael. Practice until you can recite them from memory.

2. Narrate events: Tell a simple story using all four verbs: "Es i i'r dref. Des i adre. Wnes i goginio. Ces i swper da."

3. Practice questions and negatives: For each verb, practice the question and negative forms alongside the affirmative.

Related Concepts

• Past Tense with Gwneud
• Cael - Multiple Uses